Thrift Shop"Hong Kong Clipper"

She was found in a thrift shop, in an unsorted box called "photos". But NC823M tells a story. This Sikorsky S-42 joined the Pan American Airways Fleet in 1934 as a mail & passenger carrier for the Caribbean routes. The photo is hand-dated 1940, Miami.

On August 8, 1944, NC823M, was departing Antilla to return home. She crashed, hitting the sea, shortly after take off. There were 17 fatalities out of the 26 passengers and 5 crew. She remains fully submerged in Bahia de Nipe near the now defunct Antilla airport in Cuba.

Meet the "Hong Kong Clipper": not forgotten, she is home, here at the Pan Am Museum.